


Misplaced

by CrazyMaryT



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, philinda bad days, some fluffy bits too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-16 17:02:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4633194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyMaryT/pseuds/CrazyMaryT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melinda finds Phil having a rough day after not showing up for a debrief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Misplaced

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Philinda bad days challenge over at Tumblr. 
> 
> Prompt - Phil can't find his glasses.

It was odd for Phil to come in late for a debriefing. They had gotten in two days ago, went through medical and now needed to get the paperwork done and talk to the commander in charge of the mission. The problem was Phil hadn’t shown up to their Triskelion office and it was coming up on eleven. Melinda had made excuses to Agent Linds to go find her partner. Hopping on her bike she made her way to his DC apartment.

They hadn’t spoken since yesterday in medical. Even with things going as planned both had received several injuries. Nothing too serious but she knew he’d taken his fair share of punches to the head. She hated when they used him as the distraction. One day she feared she would arrive too late. He’d complained of a severe headache and both decided to catch up the next day. Melinda had seen him look worse so she didn’t think any more about it until she had reached their shared office to find it empty. The coffee she’d brought for him gone cold when he still hadn’t shown up an hour later.

She pulled into his parking garage to find Lola still there. Not for the first time was she glad they had exchanged keys. In their line of work sometimes an injury would turn out to be more serious than upon first look. Not that she didn’t trust Shield physicians but they were only human. In the end it was a lot more convenient then breaking in each time the other was non-responsive.  
Letting herself into his apartment Melinda paused as his normally organised living space had become a mountain of chaos. The floor was littered with all Phil’s belongings. His books, collectables, family mementos all scattered form their usual resting places. She could see the kitchen looked much the same and she could hear him muttering and swearing from his bedroom.

“Phil?” she called out, “Phil!”

He didn’t respond but came out to the hallway. She couldn’t believe it. It was nearly noon and Phil Coulson wasn’t dressed. He stood before her, hair wild, unshaven, in a wrinkled black Shield t-shirt and boxers, with one sock.

“Phil?”

“I can’t find them May.”

She couldn’t remember ever hearing this so forlorn.

“What’s the matter?” she asked as he turned and went back into the bedroom.

Melinda followed and sat beside her oldest friend. She waited for him to speak to her. He wasn’t usually this quiet. After a few minutes of silence she nudged his shoulder with her own.

“I can’t find my glasses.” He finally said.

“That’s it? That’s the reason for all this?” she replied motioning to the state of his bedroom.

He was clearly frustrated that she didn’t find the revelation all that serious. She wasn’t a mind reader. Phil was going to have to tell her what was going on.

“I was thinking about our report and couldn’t sleep. It was around four so I figured I’d get a head start. Paperwork really isn’t your thing.” He paused and she couldn’t help but smile, Phil did know her quite well.

“I went to get my glasses and they weren’t in my travel bag.”

“Don’t you have two other pairs at work? If that’s what this is about you should have called our office. I could have brought them to you.”

He stood and began pacing. He was past agitated now. Sometimes he could be maddening. Melinda was still clueless as to the importance of all this. Standing she moved right in front of him placing her hands on his arms.

“Look Phil you’re doing a lot of talking but not _saying_ anything. What is wrong?”

“Those frames were my Dad’s. I don’t wear them often but had been while I wait for my new prescription. It’s silly I know.” He told her looking away.

Under normal circumstances she would be surprised by this behavior but her friend had been off kilter for the past few months. All since his mother’s passing. He’d become distracted. Out in the field it hadn’t affected him but it did have a way of seeping into the other areas of his life. Melinda could hardly blame him for that.

“It’s alright Phil.” She said taking his hand leading him back to sit on the bed. “Take a breath. We’ll find them.”

“I’ve told you before my father was a teacher. Well I always remember him reading to me on the evenings my Mom worked the night shift. I remember his hands. They were so large, holding the book while he let me turn the pages. He would always point out new words. Ones I didn’t know and I’d have to read them. When I couldn’t and I’d get upset he would take off his glasses and put them on me. Tell me that maybe I just couldn’t see the words to read them. They were so big they would slide right down my nose. He’d end up making some corny joke. We would laugh and laugh. The book all but forgotten.”

“So you’re telling me we have your father to thank for all your bad jokes?”

He laughed at that comment and she couldn’t help but join him. Glad she was able to bring him somewhat out of his funk.

“I get afraid I’m going to forget him.” He told her once they had stopped laughing. “It’s worse now that Mom is gone. I have all that stuff out there for Cap, for Peggy Carter’s Shield now I don’t know that it’s important. My parents always felt it was important to know history. I feel like I’m losing the connections I had to my own past.”

Phil could be sentimental but never in this way. Melinda hated that he was hurting so much. She let go his hand and moved her arm around his shoulder pulling him to her for a hug. She’d known him almost all her adult life and he’d been there for her on more than one occasion. His arms went around her body, holding on tightly.

“It’ll be alright.” She said with a confidence she didn’t need to fake.

He moved back to look at her. He was smiling now and she was happy for that.

“Thank you.”

“You’re my partner Phil. I’ve got your back.”

“I’m very thankful for that Melinda.” The use of her first name wasn’t as surprising as his leaning forward to place his lips against hers.

She surprised them both by pulling him towards the bed. They’d never kissed like this before. Undercover never had this much emotion behind it. He whispered her name once more against her lips as her handwent under his t-shirt. She quite liked how he was making her feel. They rolled around together. Melinda toed her shoes off and pushed his other sock off. She was going to remove her own jacket when Phil back to look at her, face flushed, hair destroyed but smiling wide.

“Lola.”

“What?” she was confused and pushed him off her so they now lay side by side.

“Lola. They’re in the glove box of Lola.”

“Oh Phil.” She said softly placing her hand against his cheek even with the moment broken.

They sat up neither speaking as Melinda put her shoes back on. She didn’t feel awkward about what happened and she didn’t think Phil did either.

“Get dressed and I’ll go get your glasses. If we’re any later Linds is going to have both our asses in a sling.”

She stood and he grabbed her arm before she could walk away. For once he was silent and she missed his rambling. She may not have felt awkward but she wasn’t sure exactly what just happened between them meant. In the fifteen years she’d know him it wasn’t like this was the first time they skirted the edges of their friendship. It was just the first time things had ever escalated to something like this.

“Your blouse needs buttoned up.” He said sheepishly. He was good, she hadn’t even noticed that.

“I can take care of it on my way outside. Come on we don’t have all day.” She told him as he stood again. “We’ll come back and clean this place up after the debrief.”

“How about we come back and clean up tomorrow? I’d like to . . .” he didn’t finish choosing to kiss her once more.

“I’d like that too.” Melinda told him when they finally pulled apart.

She walked out to the living room fixing her blouse stopping when she got to the door.

“Hey Phil don’t worry about your hair. You can fix it when we get to work.”

“What?”

“You’re riding with me on my bike.”

“We can take Lola. It’s meant for two people.” He stepped out of his bedroom to look at her.

“No way. We take the bike.”

“But . . .”

“That’s what you get for thinking of your car while kissing me. You’ve got five minutes.”

He’d called after her but she had already closed the door. Going back to the garage she unlocked Lola and sat in the passenger seat. Opening the glove box she pulled out the case with the frames. RPC was engraved in the center and she ran her hands across the letters. Melinda decided that she would do all she could so her best friend wouldn’t lose his connections, to the past and to her.


End file.
